Image capture system and imaging optical system

ABSTRACT

An image capture system including two imaging systems of the same structure each having a wide-angle lens, which includes a front group, a reflection surface, and a rear group arranged in order from an object side, has a field angle larger than 180 degrees, and bends an optical axis of the front group toward the rear group by the reflection surface, and an imaging sensor, obtains an image in a solid angle of 4π radian by combining images imaged by the imaging systems. Each of the two wide-angle lenses includes the reflection surface between the front group and the rear group, the reflection surfaces are made to be common to the two imaging systems. This reduces an interval between lenses nearest to the object side in the front groups of the two wide-angle lenses, thereby reducing a distance between maximum field angles of the two wide-angle lenses.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on and claims priority from JapanesePatent Application Number 2012-199770 filed Sep. 11, 2012, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to an image capture system and anomnidirectional image capture system in particular, and to an imagingoptical system used therein.

As image capture systems which “simultaneously take an image” inomnidirections, those using two wide-angle lenses are known (refer toJapanese Patent Application Publication Number 2010-271675 and JapanesePatent Number 3290993).

Such an omnidirectional image capture system can simultaneously acquireimage information in all directions (in a solid angle of 4π radian), andtherefore can be effectively used for a security monitoring camera, avehicle-mounted camera, or the like.

For example, for coverage of news and the like, extremely accurate andfair image information can be recorded by using a small-sizedomnidirectional image capture system in a “hand-held condition”.

An image of a weather state in the ominidirections can be taken andapplied to an analysis for weather information.

In addition, an image of landscape information can be taken and appliedto the use in advertisement and promotion of the art field.

In such an image capture system, two wide-angle lenses each having afield angle exceeding 180 degrees (what is called a “fisheye lens”) areused in combination.

Images taken by the respective wide-angle lenses are converted intoelectric signals by the same or individual imaging device and theelectric signals are processed, so that an image in the omnidirectionscan be taken.

Neither of Japanese Patent Application Publication Number 2010-271675,and Japanese Patent Number 3290993 disclose the specific configurationof the wide-angle lens itself.

Moreover, in the image capture systems described in these patentdocuments and the like, each image formation light flux by each of theimaging optical systems is guided to an imaging device by an individuallight-guide device (route changing device or reflection opticalequipment).

As described above, because the light-guide device is used for eachwide-angle lens, it is difficult to reduce a “distance between maximumfield angles” of the two wide-angle lenses. The “distance betweenmaximum field angles” will be described later.

When two wide-angle lenses each having a field angle exceeding 180degrees are combined, a space portion where maximum field angle lightfluxes entering the respective wide-angle lenses are not overlapped witheach other is present.

An image of an object present in the “space portion where maximum fieldangle light fluxes entering the respective wide-angle lenses are notoverlapped with each other” cannot be taken.

The “space portion” is hereinafter referred to as “imaging impossiblespace portion”. It is needless to say that the imaging impossible spaceportion is preferably as small as possible.

It is difficult to reduce the imaging impossible space portion with thelarger “distance between maximum field angles” mentioned above.

The larger field angles of the two wide-angle lenses to be combined arerequired for the reduced imaging impossible space portion in the imagecapture system having a larger distance between maximum field angles.This results in the severe design condition of lenses.

Moreover, with respect to an object which can be taken therein,parallaxes of an object in a maximum field angle and an object in aninfinite distance differ. This results in a lager shift on the imagingelement. This point also will be described later.

Japanese Patent Application Publication Number 2010-271675, and JapanesePatent Number 3290993 do not describe the specific configuration of thewide-angle lens, and not disclose such a problem of the imagingimpossible space portion or a problem in parallax at all.

SUMMARY

The present invention aims to implement a novel omnidirectional imagecapture system capable of effectively solving the abovementionedproblems.

In order to achieve the above object, an embodiment of the presentinvention provides an image capture system in which two imaging systemsof the same structure each including a wide-angle lens having a fieldangle larger than 180 degrees and an imaging sensor for taking an imageformed by the wide-angle lens are combined, and which obtains an imagein a solid angle of 4π radian by combining images taken by therespective imaging systems, wherein the wide-angle lens of each of theimaging systems includes a front group, a reflection surface, and a reargroup being arranged from an object side to an image side, and bends anoptical axis of the front group toward the rear group by the reflectionsurface, the two wide-angle lenses are combined such that the opticalaxes of the front groups are coincident with or close to each other anddirections of the front groups are opposite to each other, and opticalaxes of the rear groups are in parallel with each other and directionsof the rear groups are opposite to each other, and include thereflection surfaces as a reflection film made to be common to the twowide-angle lenses, the reflection film made to be common constitutes areflection surface member made to be common with optically equivalenttwo transparent members which sandwich the common reflection filmtherebetween, and the reflection surface member is held by a common bodytube portion to which the respective front groups and the respectiverear groups of the two wide-angle lenses are mounted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view separately illustrating two imaging systems whichconstitute an image capture system.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a parallax and an imaging impossiblespace.

FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a relation between a distance betweenmaximum field angles and the parallax.

FIG. 4 is a view of a spherical aberration of a specific example of awide-angle lens.

FIG. 5 is a view of curvature of field of the specific example of thewide-angle lens.

FIG. 6 is views of coma aberration of the specific example of thewide-angle lens.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating an OTF feature of the specific example ofthe wide-angle lens.

FIG. 8 is another graph illustrating an OTF feature of the specificexample of the wide-angle lens.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating an example of a reflection surface member.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are views for explaining the reflection surface memberand an assembly thereof to a body tube portion.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are views for explaining the body tube portion.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a relation between right angle prismswhich constitute the reflection surface member and an image formationlight flux.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of two imaging systems which constitute animage capture system.

In other words, the two imaging systems which constitute the imagecapture system are an imaging system A and an imaging system Billustrated in the drawing. These imaging systems A, B have the sameconfiguration.

Each of the two imaging systems A, B is configured to include “awide-angle lens having a field angle larger than 180 degrees, and animaging sensor for taking an image formed by the wide-angle lens”.

The imaging sensor is a “two-dimensional solid imaging element”.

The wide-angle lens of the imaging system A includes a front group, areflection surface, and a rear group.

The “front group” is configured to include lenses LA1 to LA3, and the“rear group” is configured to include lenses LA4 to LA7. A referencenumeral PA indicates a “right angle prism”.

An aperture stop SA is disposed at an object side of the lens LA4.

The wide-angle lens of the imaging system B includes a front group, areflection surface, and a rear group.

The “front group” is configured to include lenses LB1 to LB3, and the“rear group” is configured to include lenses LB4 to LB7. A referencenumeral PB indicates a “right angle prism”.

An aperture stop SB is disposed at an object side of the lens LB4.

The “front groups” of these two wide-angle lenses have a negativerefractive power, and the “rear groups” thereof have a positiverefractive power.

The right angle prisms PA, PB and the “reflection surface” will bedescribed later.

“The lenses which constitute the front group” of the wide-angle lens inthe imaging system A are configured in such a manner that three lensesas follows are arranged from the object side.

In other words, the lenses are the negative meniscus lens LA1 made of aglass material, the negative lens LA2 made of a plastic material, andthe negative meniscus lens LA3 made of a glass material.

The lenses which constitute the rear group thereof are configured insuch a manner that four lenses as follows are arranged from the aperturestop SA side.

In other words, the lenses are the biconvex lens LA4 made of a glassmaterial, “the cemented lens of the biconvex lens LA5 and the biconcavelens LA6” which are made of a glass material, and the biconvex lens LA7made of a plastic material.

“The lenses which constitute the front group” of the wide-angle lens inthe imaging system B are configured in such a manner that three lensesas follows are arranged from the object side.

In other words, the lenses are, in order from the object side, thenegative meniscus lens LB1 made of a glass material, the negative lensLB2 made of a plastic material, and the negative meniscus lens LB3 madeof a glass material.

The lenses which constitute the rear group thereof are configured insuch a manner that four lenses as follows are arranged from the aperturestop SB side.

In other words, the lenses are the biconvex lens LB4 made of a glassmaterial, “the cemented lens of the biconvex lens LB5 and the biconcavelens LB6” which are made of a glass material, and the biconvex lens LB7made of a plastic material.

In these imaging systems A, B, the negative lenses LA2 and LB2 and thebiconvex lenses LA7 and LB7 which are made of a plastic material eachhave “both aspherical surfaces”.

Further, the other lenses which are made of a glass material arespherical lenses.

Positions of front-side principal points in the wide-angle lenses arerespectively set between the lenses LA2 and LA3 and between the lensesLB2 and LB3.

A distance from an intersection point between an optical axis of thefront group and the reflection surface to the front-side principal pointin each of the wide-angle lenses of the imaging systems A, B isindicated by “d1, d2” in FIG. 1.

Because the imaging systems A, B have the same configuration, d1=d2 isestablished.

The right angle prisms PA, PB may be preferably made of a “materialhaving a refractive index for the d line more than 1.8”. The right angleprisms PA, PB each “internal-reflect” light from the front group towardthe rear group.

Accordingly, each optical path for an image formation light flux of eachof the wide-angle lenses passes through the inside of each of the rightangle prisms PA, PB.

The prism made of the material having a high refractive index asdescribed above results in the “optically optical path length” in theright angle prism longer than an actual optical path length, therebymaking it possible to increase a distance where a light beam is causedto be curved.

This allows “the optical path length between the front group and therear group” in the front group, the right angle prism, and the reargroup to be longer than a mechanical optical path length, thereby makingit possible to configure the wide-angle lens in a small-sized manner.

Moreover, the right angle prisms PA, PB are disposed near the aperturestops SA and SB through which the diameter of the light flux is narroweddown, so that the right angle prisms of a small size can be used,thereby making it possible to decrease an interval between thewide-angle lenses.

In this manner, each of the right angle prisms PA, PB is disposedbetween the front group and the rear group.

The front group of the wide-angle lens has a function to take in a lightbeam “having a field angle larger than 180 degrees”, and the rear groupthereof effectively functions for “correction for aberration of animage-formed image”.

An imaging sensor is disposed at the image side of the rear group ineach of the wide-angle lenses. In FIG. 1, reference numerals ISA and ISBrespectively indicate imaging surfaces of these imaging sensors.

A reference numeral F illustrated at the wide-angle lens side of each ofthe imaging surfaces ISA and ISB indicates various kinds of filters andcovers used for the imaging sensor.

Incidentally, in FIG. 1, although the right angle prisms PA, PB areillustrated in a separate manner, this aims to clearly illustrate theconfigurations of the respective imaging systems A, B.

In the actual image capture system, inclined surfaces of the right angleprisms PA, PB which constitute parts of the wide-angle lenses of therespective imaging systems A, B are in contact with each other.

The “reflection surfaces” in the respective wide-angle lenses constitutea reflection film common to the two wide-angle lenses, and thereflection film is sandwiched by optically equivalent two transparentmembers (right angle prisms PA, PB).

In other words, a reflection film is formed between the inclinedsurfaces of the right angle prisms PA, PB, and this reflection film issandwiched by the inclined surfaces of the right angle prisms PA, PB.

In this state, the reflection film and the right angle prisms PA, PB aremade be integral and constitute “a reflection surface member common tothe two wide-angle lenses”.

Further, as is described later, the reflection surface member is held bya “common body tube portion mounted with the respective front groups andthe respective rear groups” of the two wide-angle lenses.

Such a configuration enables the width in the incident light axisdirection to be reduced in the imaging systems A, B.

An effect by such a configuration will be described.

FIG. 2 illustrates the image capture system in a simple manner.

In other words, In FIG. 2, reference numerals A1, B1 indicate, in thefront groups of the two wide-angle lenses, “lens surfaces nearest to theobject side (object side lens surfaces of the lenses LA1, LB1 in FIG.1)”.

Moreover, reference numerals A2, B2 indicate the rear groups of the twowide-angle lenses in a simple manner, and reference numerals SNA, SNBindicate the imaging sensors of the imaging systems A, B.

Reference numerals PA, PB indicate the right angle prisms, and areference numeral RF indicates the “reflection surface”.

A reference numeral LMA indicates a maximum field angle light beam whichenters the wide-angle lens of the imaging system A at a maximum fieldangle, and a reference numeral LMB indicates a maximum field angle lightbeam which enters the wide-angle lens of the imaging system B at amaximum field angle.

An “intersection point” between the maximum field angle light beams LMAand LMB is set as P, and a distance between the point P and a planewhich passes an intersection point position Q of the surface B1 nearestto the object side in the front group with an optical axis AX and isorthogonal to an incident light axis is set as “R”.

Moreover, a distance between the intersection point position Q and aplane which passes the point P and is in parallel with the optical axisAX is set as “L”.

In addition, a distance between incident light positions of the maximumfield angle light beams LMA, LMB to the front groups is set as “MGK”.

This distance: MGK indicates the “distance between maximum field angles”described above.

As is apparent from the drawing, a “space portion surrounded by thepoint P and the maximum field angle light beams LMA, LMB” is an “imagingimpossible space portion” described above.

Neither of the two wide-angle lenses take in light emitted from anobject present in the imaging impossible space portion as imaging light.

The omnidirectional image capture system can take an image of lessinformation as the imaging impossible space portion becomes larger.Accordingly, an idea to reduce the size of the imaging impossible spaceportion is required.

The size of the imaging impossible space portion is featured by thedistances: R and L and the distance between maximum field angles: MGKdescribed above.

If any of these distances: R, L, and MGK increase, the imagingimpossible space portion becomes large. Methods for reducing thesedistances are considered as follows.

The first method is a method of reducing the distance: L. To executethis method independently, the field angle of the wide-angle lens needsto be increased.

The increase of the field angle of the wide-angle lens results in severeconstraint to a lens design, and the increase of the field angle resultsin the larger “parallax”.

The second method is a method of reducing the distance: R.

When the field angle of the wide-angle lens is set to “θ”, between thedistances: R and L, the relationship expressed as follows isestablished.L=−R·tan θ

Accordingly, if the distance R is reduced, the distance: L where imagesphotographed by the two wide-angle lenses becomes short, and the imagingimpossible space portion also becomes small.

To reduce the distance: R, the distance between maximum field angles:MGK may preferably be reduced.

To reduce the distance between maximum field angles: MGK, as is thepresent embodiment, making the reflection surfaces included in the twowide-angle lenses of the imaging systems A, B be common is “the mosteffective”.

The reflection film is sandwiched by the inclined surfaces of the rightangle prisms PA and PB to be integrated with the right angle prisms PA,PB, which allows the distance between maximum field angles: MGK to bereduced and the distance: R to be reduced.

Here, the “parallax” will be described.

In the image capture system of the present embodiment, two imagescaptured by the wide-angle lenses each having a field angle equal to orlarger than 180 degrees are joined together by calibration to obtain animage of a solid angle: 4π radian.

The “parallax” described in the description means an “overlappingamount” of the two images joined together by calibration.

As for such an omnidirectional image capture system in the presentembodiment, the joined “composite image” is influenced by the parallaxand the “parallax of the maximum field angles” causes an image shift.

When the parallax is converted into an angle and is set as angle: θ, theparallax: θ has a functional relation with a distance to an object andthe distance between maximum field angles: MGK.

As an example, when calibration is performed with a distance to anobject: 20 cm, if the distance between maximum field angles is 35 mm,the parallax of an infinitely distant image is 5 degrees.

In other words, the infinitely distant image shifts by 5 degrees.

For example, when an imaging sensor of 5000000 pixels is used, thepixels are arranged in an array of 2592×1944 (pixels) in two directionsorthogonal to each other.

An image is formed in this rectangular area region by the wide-anglelens, the diameter of the image (has a circular shape) becomes 1994pixels, in other words, approximately 2000 pixels.

Assuming that the field angle of the wide-angle lens is 200 degrees, thenumber of pixels allocated to each degree is 2000 (pixels)/200(degrees)=10 (pixels)/degrees.

In this case, “the parallax of 5 degrees” as described the above causesthe infinitely distant image to be shifted by 50 pixels.

FIG. 3 illustrates change of the shift amount: θ of a joint of twoimages to be joined together, in the abovementioned case, when animaging range from an object distance: 20 cm to the infinite distance isset.

The horizontal axis represents the distance between maximum field angles(which is indicated as a “distance between positions of the maximumfield angle light beams” in the drawing).

The longitudinal axis represents a shift “angle: θ (that is“parallax”)”. As illustrated in the drawing, the shift angle: θlinearity increases proportional to the increase in the distance betweenmaximum field angles.

The “overlapped region” of the joined two images increases with thelarger parallax.

This results in the lower pixel density of “a portion from a surroundingpart to an optical axis part” excluding the overlapped portion, whichleads to the lower resolution of a composite image.

With the image capture system of the present embodiment, as describedthe above, the reflection surface member is configured such that areflection film is sandwiched by the oblique sides of the right angleprisms PA, PB, and the reflection film and one right angle prism areintegrally formed.

This makes a distance between the reflection surfaces of the twowide-angle lenses be 0, thereby reducing the distance between maximumfield angles and decreasing the parallax.

A specific example relating to the wide-angle lens is described.

Data described below relate to the two imaging systems A, B illustratedin FIG. 1. Because the imaging systems A, B have “the sameconfiguration”, the following data are common to the respective imagingsystems.

The distance: d1 indicates “a distance on the optical axis between anentrance pupil and the reflection surface of the right angle prism PA”of the wide-angle lens in the imaging system A.

The distance: d2 indicates “a distance on the optical axis between anentrance pupil and the reflection surface of the prism PB” of thewide-angle lens in the imaging system B.

In the following, “f” indicates a focal length of an entire system, “No”indicates an F-number, and “ω” indicates a field angle.

“The surface numbers” are 1 to 23 from the object side, these numbersindicate a lens surface, incident and emission surfaces and a reflectionsurface of a prism, an aperture stop surface, and a filter surface or animaging surface of an imaging sensor.

“R” indicates a curvature radius of each surface, and indicates a“paraxial curvature radius” as an aspherical surface.

“D” indicates a surface interval, “Nd” indicates a refractive index ofthe d line, and “νd” indicates an Abbe's number. Further, an objectdistance is infinitely distant. A unit of an amount having a level oflength is “mm”.

“Specific example”

f=0.75, No=2.14, ω=190 degrees

SURFACE NUMBER R D Nd νd  1 17.1 1.2 1.834807 42.725324  2 7.4 2.27  3*−1809 0.8 1.531131 55.753858  4* 4.58 2  5 17.1 0.7 1.639999 60.078127 6 2.5 1.6  7 ∞ 0.3  8 ∞ 5 1.834000 37.160487  9 ∞ 1.92 10 ∞ 0.15(APERTURE STOP) 11 93.2 1.06 1.922860 18.896912 12 −6.56 1.0 13 3.371.86 1.754998 52.321434 14 −3 0.7 1.922860 18.896912 15 3 0.3  16* 2.71.97 1.531131 55.753858  17* −2.19 0.8 18 ∞ 0.4 1.516330 64.142022 19 ∞0 20 ∞ 0.3 1.516330 64.142022 21 ∞ 0.3 22 IMAGING SURFACEAspherical Surface

Surfaces having “*” (both surfaces of the second lens in the front groupand both surfaces of the final lens in the rear group) in the data aboveare aspherical surfaces.

An aspherical surface shape is represented by the following well-knownequation.X=CH ²/[1+√{square root over ( )}{1−(1+K)C ² H ² }]+A4·H ⁴ +A6·H ⁶ +A8·H⁸ +A10·H ¹⁰ +A12·H ¹² +A14·H ¹⁴

In this equation, “C” indicates a reciprocal number of a paraxialcurvature radius (paraxial curvature), “H” indicates a height from anoptical axis, “K” indicates a conical constant, “A1” or the likeindicates an aspherical surface coefficient of each order, and “X”indicates an aspherical surface amount in the optical axis direction.

The shape is specified by applying the paraxial curvature radius: R, theconical constant: K, and the aspherical surface coefficients: A1 to A14described above.

Aspherical surface data of the abovementioned example is as follows.

THIRD SURFACE  4th: 0.001612  6th: −5.66534e−6  8th: −1.99066e−7 10th:3.69959e−10 12th: 6.47915e−12 FOURTH SURFACE  4th: −0.00211  6th:1.66793e−4  8th: 9.34249e−6 10th: −4.44101e−7 12th: −2.96463e−10 16THSURFACE  4th: −0.006934  6th: −1.10559e−3  8th: 5.33603e−4 10th:−1.09372e−4 12th: 1.80753−5 14th: −1.52252e−7 17TH SURFACE  4th:0.041954  6th: −2.99841e−3  8th: −4.27219e−4 10th: 3.426519e−4 12th:−7.19338e−6 14th: −1.69417e−7

In the indication of the abovementioned aspherical surfaces, for example“−1.69417e−7” means “1.69417×10⁻⁷”.

Moreover, “4th to 14th” mean “A4 to A14”, respectively.

The wide-angle lens in the example satisfies “d1=d2=d=6 mm”.

Moreover, a distance from the lens surface nearest to the object side tothe reflection surface of the right angle prism: DA satisfies DA=8.87mm.

Accordingly, if the reflection surfaces are made to be common in the twowide-angle lenses, a distance on the optical axis between the surfacesnearest to the object side of the front groups of the two wide-anglelenses is 8.87×2=17.74 mm.

From this distance, a distance between maximum field angles of 17 mm isobtained.

A parallax: θ in a case of the distance between maximum field angles: 17mm is “2.4 degrees” as illustrated in FIG. 3, and the “shift amount” ofthe infinitely distant image is also reduced to 24 pixels.

Moreover, the reflection surfaces are made to be common to decrease theinterval between the principal points of the two wide-angle lenses asd1+d2=2d1. This also contributes to reduction of the parallax.

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of spherical aberration of the wide-angle lensin the abovementioned specific example. Moreover, FIG. 5 illustrates aview of the curvature of field. FIG. 6 illustrates views of comaaberration.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are views each illustrating an OTF (Optical TransferFunction) feature, the horizontal axis indicates a “spatial frequency”in FIG. 7 and a half field angle with “degrees” in FIG. 8.

As is apparent from these drawings, the wide-angle lens in the specificexample has an extremely high performance.

In this manner, the reflection surfaces of the two wide-angle lensesincluded in the image capture system are made to be common, and thecommon reflection surface is sandwiched by the two transparent members(right angle prisms PA, PB) to be integrally formed as a reflectionsurface member.

Accordingly, as explained the above, the parallax can be effectivelyreduced.

However, the following is required to be noted because the reflectionsurfaces are made to be common.

In other words, if the each of the wide-angle lenses includes areflection surface separately, each reflection surface may be ensuredfor the position accuracy with respect to the front group and the reargroup in one wide-angle lens.

However, if the reflection surfaces are made to be common in the twowide-angle lenses, the reflection surface made to be common required tobe ensured for the positional relationship of the front group and therear group with respect to the respective two wide-angle lenses.

In other words, an inclination or a position error of the reflectionsurface affects on the two wide-angle lenses.

A reflection film serving as the reflection surface is integrally formedwith the right angle prisms PA, PB to be one reflection surface member,and the performance of thereof depends on one optical element due to theassembly.

This problem can be solved as follows.

In other words, a reflection film made to be common to the twowide-angle lenses is sandwiched by optically equivalent two transparentmembers.

The two transparent members which sandwich the reflection filmtherebetween have “surfaces of different sizes which abut on thereflection film”, and a “region out of a light flux reflection region”in one of the surfaces having a larger abut area is set as a freesurface part.

The free surface part is “the surface the same as the reflectionsurface” if a minute film thickness of the reflection film is ignored.

Therefore, an abutting surface which abuts on the free surface part isformed on the body tube portion which holds the reflection surfacemember, and the free surface part is caused to abut on this abuttingsurface, thereby aligning the abutting surface with respect to the bodytube portion.

This enables the reflection surface to be “directly aligned” withrespect to the body tube portion.

Meanwhile, the front groups and the rear groups of the two wide-anglelenses are aligned with high accuracy and mounted to the body tubeportion.

Accordingly, as described the above, the reflection surface of thereflection surface member mounted to the body tube portion is aligned tothe respective two wide-angle lenses with high accuracy.

This applies to the embodiment being explained as follows.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the reflection surface member. Forsimplified explanation, reference numerals 200 and 300 indicate the tworight angle prisms.

The right angle prisms 200, 300 are used in the specific example of theabovementioned wide-angle lenses, are formed of the same material havinga refractive index: 1.834 and an Abbe's number: 37.160487.

A reflection film is formed by aluminum coating on inclined surfaces ofthe right angle prisms 200, 300. Note that, the “reflection film” is notillustrated for simplified illustration.

The inclined surfaces of the right angle prisms 200, 300 are bonded andfixed to each other by an adhesive in an interval or 5 μm or less withthe reflection films therebetween.

Two prism planes forming a prism angle of each of the right angle prisms200, 300 are “an incident surface and a reflection surface”, andreflection prevention is processed to these surfaces.

The right angle prism 200 out of the right angle prisms 200, 300 has “alength in a ridge line direction of the prism planes together forming aright angle” longer than that of the right angle prism 300.

This causes parts of the inclined surface of the right angle prism 200(both end sides portions in the abovementioned ridge line direction) tobe projected out from the inclined surface of the right angle prism 300.

In FIG. 9, portions indicated by reference numerals 201A, 201B are the“protruded portions”, that is the “free surface parts”. The free surfaceparts 201A, 201B are the same surfaces as the “reflection surfaces”.

FIG. 10A is a view illustrating the reflection surface member beingplaced in such a manner that the abovementioned “ridge line direction”becomes a vertical direction. The reflection surface member is mountedto the body tube portion in this state.

Note that, in FIG. 10A, end portions of a jointing surface between theright angle prisms 200, 300 of the reflection surface member are“chamfered”.

FIG. 10B illustrates a state where the reflection surface member isattached to a body tube portion 100 as an explanation view. The bodytube portion 100 is cut by a virtual plane including the optical axis inthe rear group and in parallel with the optical axis of the front group.

Each of FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrates a portion in the body tube portion100 to which the reflection surface member is attached.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view, and FIG. 11B is a front view.

The vertical direction in the front view of FIG. 11B is “the opticalaxis direction of the rear groups of the two wide-angle lenses”, and therespective front groups are mounted to a hole portion in the body tubeportion 100 in a direction orthogonal to the drawing.

The body tube portion 100 is formed with steps at portions which receivethe reflection surfaces of the reflection surface member, and surfacesof the steps are abutting surfaces 101A, 101B.

The abutting surfaces 101A, 101B are formed with high accuracy inassociation with the positions and the postures of the respective frontgroups and rear groups of the two wide-angle lenses mounted to the bodytube portion 100 as “reflection surface positions”.

The free surface part 201A and the free surface part 201B in thereflection surface member constituted from the right angle prisms 200,300 are respectively abutted on the abutting surface 101A and theabutting surface 101B.

This allows the reflection surfaces of the reflection surface member tobe set a required posture with respect to the front groups and the reargroups of the respective wide-angle lenses.

With the manner as described the above, the postures of the reflectionsurfaces are determined. Meanwhile, the reflection surface member inthis state has a flexibility of movement in “a direction along thereflection surface”.

In order to decide a position of the reflection surface member in thebody tube portion 100 while the postures of the reflection surfacesbeing held adequately, at least one point other than the free surfaceparts 201A, 201B needs to be fixed.

In the embodiment being explained, an emission surface 202A of the rightangle prism 200 is abutted on second abutting surfaces 102A, 102B formedon the body tube portion as protruding parts and is bonded thereto by anadhesive.

In this manner, the right angle prism 200 is fixed to the body tubeportion 100, and the posture of the reflection surface member withrespect to the body tube portion 100 is decided.

In the embodiment being explained, although two protruding parts areprovided in the body tube portion 100 as the second abutting surfaces102A, 102B, at least one of the second abutting surfaces 102A, 102B maybe provided.

In the embodiment being explained, the emission surface 202A of theright angle prism 200 is bonded to the second abutting surfaces 102A,102B. This means as follows.

FIG. 12 illustrates an optical path view of the imaging system whichconstitutes the image capture system (the imaging system A illustratedin FIG. 1). A light flux entered from the front group with the reducedlight flux diameter enters into the right angle prism 200.

Then, the light flux is further narrowed in the right angle prism 200and emitted from the emission surface. Accordingly, the light fluxdiameter of the image formation light flux (light flux effectivediameter) is large in the incident surface, and small in the emissionsurface.

Therefore, of the right angle prism 200 out of the two right angleprisms which sandwich the reflection film therebetween, a portion out ofthe light flux effective diameter in the emission surface 202A having asmall light flux effective diameter is abutted on the second abuttingsurfaces.

In this manner, an outer circumference portion of the image formationlight flux might not be light-blocked by the protruding parts as thesecond abutting surfaces 102A, 102B.

Specifically, in FIG. 12, the light flux diameter: L1 is 3.8 mm and L2is 2.3 mm, and the length of one side of the incident and emissionsurfaces of the right angle prism 200 is 5 mm.

In this manner, a part where the reflection surface member is fixed tothe body tube portion is made to be the reflection surface.

Accordingly, the sizes of the right angle prisms change, and the freesurface part is provided on the reflection surface of the larger rightangle prism and is abutted on the abutting surface of the body tubeportion.

This allows the cause of deterioration in a performance resulting from ashift or a tilt of the reflection surface to be reduced withoutaffection by the outer accuracy of the reflection surface member.

Although a case where two right angle prisms are combined as areflection surface member has been described above, optically equivalenttwo transparent members which sandwich the reflection film made to becommon therebetween are not limited to the right angle prisms.

For example, transparent parallel plates may be used as opticallyequivalent two transparent members, and may sandwich the reflection filmtherebetween.

Also in this case, one of the transparent parallel plates is made to belarge to form a free surface part on an extended portion of thereflection surface, and the free surface part is made to be abutted onthe abutting surface, thereby deciding a position of the transparentparallel plates.

In principle, when the reflection film is sandwiched by theabovementioned two transparent parallel plates, there is a method ofachieving a position accuracy of the reflection surface without a freesurface part being not formed on the extended portion of the reflectionsurface.

In other words, it is considered to achieve the position accuracy insuch a manner that the surface at the side not in contact with thereflection surfaces of the transparent parallel plates is abutted on theabutting surface of body tube portion.

In this case, when the thickness of the transparent parallel plates is“t”, the abutting surface of the body tube portion is formed at aposition moved in parallel by “t” in the vertical direction from anideal position of the reflection surface.

However, in this method, the position accuracy of the reflection surfacemight be affected by the degree of parallel of the transparent parallelplates or an error in thickness because the alignment is not performedusing the reflection surface itself.

With the omnidirectional image capture system according to an embodimentof the present invention, each of the wide-angle lenses of the twoimaging systems to be combined includes a reflection surface between thefront group and the rear group, the reflection surfaces are made to becommon to the two imaging systems.

This reduces an interval between “lenses nearest to the object side inthe front groups” of the two wide-angle lens to be combined, therebyreducing a “distance between maximum field angles” of the two wide-anglelenses.

This achieves not only a small-sized image capture system but alsoreduced parallaxes of an object in a maximum field angle and aninfinitely distant object, thereby achieving an easy design condition ofwide-angle lenses.

Moreover, a shift on the imaging element on the basis of the parallaxcan be reduced.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, it is not limited thereto. It should be appreciated thatvariations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilledin the art without departing from the scope of the present invention asdefined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image capture system in which two imaging systems of the same structure each including a wide-angle lens having a field angle larger than 180 degrees and an imaging sensor for taking an image formed by the wide-angle lens are combined, and which obtains an image in a solid angle of 4π radian by combining images taken by the respective imaging systems, wherein the wide-angle lens of each of the imaging systems includes a front group, a reflection surface, and a rear group being arranged from an object side to an image side, and bends an optical axis of the front group toward the rear group by the reflection surface, the two wide-angle lenses are combined such that the optical axes of the front groups are coincident with or close to each other and directions of the front groups are opposite to each other, and optical axes of the rear groups are in parallel with each other and directions of the rear groups are opposite to each other, and include the reflection surfaces as a reflection film made to be common to the two wide-angle lenses, the reflection film made to be common constitutes a reflection surface member made to be common with optically equivalent two transparent members which sandwich the common reflection film therebetween, and the reflection surface member is held by a common body tube portion to which the respective front groups and the respective rear groups of the two wide-angle lenses are mounted.
 2. The image capture system according to claim 1, wherein the two transparent members of the reflection surface member have surfaces different in size which abut on the reflection film, the transparent member having the larger surface to be abutted includes a free surface part in a region out of a light flux reflection region, an abutting surface which abuts on the free surface part is formed in the body tube portion which holds the reflection surface member, and the reflection surface member is held by the body tube portion such that the free surface part is abutted on the abutting surface to align the reflection surface member with respect to the body tube portion.
 3. The image capture system according to claim 2, wherein the two transparent members of the reflection surface member are right angle prisms, and sandwich the reflection film therebetween with inclined surfaces thereof, one of the right angle prisms has a length in a ridge line direction of prism planes together forming a right angle longer than that of the other right angle prism, and a portion of the one right angle prism protruded from the inclined surface of the other right angle prism forms the free surface part.
 4. The image capture system according to claim 3, wherein a portion of a surface having a smaller light flux effective diameter out of an incident surface and an emission surface of one of the two right angle prisms which sandwich the reflection film therebetween, which portion is outside the light flux effective diameter, is abutted on a second abutting surface formed on the body tube portion so as to abut on the portion.
 5. The image capture system according to claim 4, wherein the surface which abuts on the second abutting surface is the emission surface.
 6. The image capture system according to claim 4, wherein the right angle prism having a longer length in the ridge line direction abuts on the second abutting surface of the body tube portion.
 7. An imaging optical system for use with an image capture system in which two imaging systems of the same structure each including a wide-angle lens having a field angle larger than 180 degrees and an imaging sensor for taking an image formed by the wide-angle lens are combined, and which obtains an image in a solid angle of 4π radian by combining images taken by the respective imaging systems, the imaging optical system, comprising: the wide-angle lens of each of the imaging systems includes a front group, a reflection surface, and a rear group being arranged from an object side to an image side, and which bends an optical axis of the front group toward the rear group by the reflection surface, wherein the two wide-angle lenses are combined such that the optical axes of the front groups are coincident with or close to each other and directions of the front groups are opposite to each other, and optical axes of the rear groups are in parallel with each other and directions of the rear groups are opposite to each other, and include the reflection surfaces as a reflection film made to be common to the two wide-angle lenses, the reflection film made to be common constitutes a reflection surface member made to be common with optically equivalent two transparent members which sandwich the common reflection film therebetween, and the reflection surface member is held by a common body tube portion to which the respective front groups and the respective rear groups of the two wide-angle lenses are mounted. 